Dream Variations
by RavenUnSkilled
Summary: A man finds himself taken from the world he knew and and is left to fend for himself in a strange fantasy land. Is he the only one in this mess? What of his benefactors? Does he serve a purpose? Various anime and manga may cross over into this. Original content as well. I'm experimenting.


Well, this is something I've been working on for months in my spare time. I've always enjoyed writing, and I'm trying to create a canvas to spread paint over, if you will.

It will start with OC, and various anime and manga will drop in as well. For now, I hope what I've written so far peaks your interest. Enjoy!

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Chapter One: Morning Light (Nu:Logic)

Cold.

That was the first thing that came to Nolan's mind as he stepped outside. The door locking behind him, he zipped up his jacket. A simple fleece/nylon combination, it would keep the wind at bay but would do little for any impending rain. The forecast that day had called for a small percentage chance, but he figured there was no need to overdress. His backpack strapped tightly to his body, he adjusted the buckle so as to not squeeze his torso.

Pulling a pair of red corded earbuds out of one of the pockets, he proceeded down the pathway of his block of row houses. The community itself was a quiet one, and given the early hour of the day it was exceedingly so. It would be a short walk to the bus stop, followed by a long walk to his place of employment. The weather was chilly, but it was a far cry from the summer months.

As he passed the project entrance, he glanced at his watch; 6:48am. "Fair enough, guess it's shawarma for breakfast." he muttered as he proceeded along his local street. At this time of the morning it was still calm enough for him to take in the tranquility of the neighborhood. Soon it would be alive with cars blaring music, children on their way to school, and pets enjoying their first walk of the day.

As he slowed his pace, Nolan pulled a smartphone out of his pocket, gently tapping the screen to punch in his passcode. Adjusting the volume, he let the sounds of his favorite artists assault his ears with noise. He slipped the device into his jacket pocket, letting the earbud cord dangle over the front of his jacket.

Arriving at the bus stop, he came to a seat on a nearby bench. He eyed the odd car as it passed, occasionally he would see a pedestrian cross the parking lot across the street. The supermarket was still hours away from opening, but the local pub was clearly alive and busy. he could spot a good dozen people on the patio enjoying breakfast, or for some a very early drink.

As he eyed the scenery, his mind wandered. The previous night had been spent on his usual tastes. He had taken the opportunity to watch some reruns of Mythbusters, as well as enjoy several hours of a selection of various first person shooter games on his computer. At age 30 he still considered himself young at heart, if not completely young in body and mind. He would have spend more time trying to chat with some of his closest friends from his favorite online communities, but always found it somewhat tiresome to interact for extended length of time. An outsider would get the impression that he was at the very least aloof, if not a bit reclusive, but Nolan didn't mind this; he felt safest this way.

He sighed. Looking at his digital watch, he began counting the seconds until the bus' intended arrival time. His smartphone had recently suggested an application for giving bus arrival times to nearby bus stops, and while the convenience was nice, he also felt that it wasn't helping keep his meticulous nature at bay. Technology was both a blessing and curse, he thought.

"Twenty times out of twenty it arrives on time, and I'm still checking" he stated to nobody in particular as he rose to his feet. "Fact is, I'd still be waiting here regardless of whether it's late or not."

Hearing a small rumble from around the corner, he turned as the bus made its way towards the stop; early for once. He lowered the volume for a moment so he could thank the driver when he stepped on. He felt it was common courtesy to at least be polite, even if it was a complete stranger. The bus came to a stop and he stepped on, making an adjustment for the height difference between the low floor on the bus and the sidewalk.

Thanking the driver, followed by a short nod, he looked down the bus aisle. To his delight, the usual seat wasn't taken. It was right in the middle on the left side, so he could look out at oncoming traffic. He would admit that enjoying the scenery while on the bus allowed him some time to think, to sit back and daydream for the short time he would be able. The bus began to pull away. At this point he blared the music on his phone and began to zone out, letting percussion and electronic synthesizers overwhelm his consciousness.

**I...I**

Chaos. It was pure chaos.

The young woman nodded to herself as she strolled down the street, taking in her surroundings as best she could. They had said it wouldn't be anything like she had seen before, but what she had expected and what she actually got were completely different.

It was quite obvious that this society was at a higher level of development, where technology and progress had been left to run rampant. Machines of various purposes had come to dominate the landscape, and it permeated every level of their society. She could clearly remember how flustered she was when she had mistake a handsome man's conversation as being meant for her, when it was revealed he was talking into some kind of handheld voice box. The lights that seem to regulate the movement of the ground transport were efficient, if not confusing. It had taken some time to adjust, though this hadn't prevented her from almost being hit by an oncoming car. Only her quick reflexes and coordination had kept her from being a hood ornament.

It was impossible.

She longed to return to her home, to see her friends and family. She missed them dearly, but she knew why she was here. She had a job to do. She was on a mission. The only problem was finding her goal.

It had been several days since she had been dropped into this world, with only a simple back story and basic guidance of where and what to look for as her help. Her benefactors had made it clear it was a matter of great importance. And she was not one to deny her masters.

Standing at a bus stop, she prepared herself for her first, and hopefully last, ride on public transport. She had decided to broaden her search, and this was as close as she could get to having mobility beyond her extensive walking.

She ran her slender fingers along the seam of her black gloves, admiring the embroidery that had been sewn by the one of the finest tailors in her homeland. A gift from her master, she smiled remembering his act of kindness at her acceptance of this mission. She may had been unhappy with her surroundings, but she would see this through. She wanted to meet who would be this important for her to be brought to this strange world.

As the bus arrived, she pursed her lips and let our a small sigh as she prepared herself for getting on board the noisy transport. Doing as she had learned from passersby, she dropped two bus tickets into the collector and bowed to the driver. "Thank you good sir" she said with a smile, passing by and taking a seat midway from the front.

**I...I**

Nolan gently opened his eyes, jostled awake by the lurch of the bus as it made its way around a corner. It seems he had fallen asleep for a few minutes. Looking out the window, he felt relieved realizing that he had not slept past his stop. Stretching his legs, he scanned his phone for a better song to listen to as he tried to keep his body alert and ready for the day ahead.

He absent-mindedly scanned around the bus, noticing the few passengers on board. A few businessmen and women dressed for a long day at the office, the odd teenager making his way to school. He gaze stopped when he noticed a young woman sitting to his right, across the aisle and a seat ahead of him.

She was fairly tall, Nolan figured she would be around six and a half feet. Almost as tall as his younger brother he realized, she may even give him a run for his money. She was of a fairly thin build, though sitting down he couldn't get a long look at her frame. She was looking out the window, seemingly enthralled by the surroundings. He was a bit surprised; it wasn't that she looked to be interested in the places the bus was driving by, but that she looked genuinely shocked at what she was seeing. It was strange to see her eye every person or building or object as if it was a spectacle unto itself.

Her fashion choices were a bit odd as well. She wore a short sky blue dress, with a peculiar metal belt of a gold-like color around her waist. A pair of elaborate heeled leather boots adorned her feet, and were delicately embroidered in various patterns. She wore a pair of black fingerless gloves, each with a gold embroidery decorating the leather-like fabric. Her head was covered by what looked to be a cross between a veil and a hijab, covering most of her head except for her face. Her long blond hair peeked out from behind the veil which ended at her shoulders.

Suddenly, she seemed to recognize she was being stared at. She turned her head to her side, a flustered look on her face as she eyed Nolan straight on. Nolan diverted his eyes for a moment, only returning to meet her gaze after she refused to look away. She looked as though she was trying to process his face, his features. It was at this point her face turned from a look of embarrassment to a look of shock; It was as if a switched clicked in her head, and she began to simply stare at his gawkingly.

Nolan finally looked away, clearly embarrassed, thinking she thought him to be creepy, or at the very least a weirdo for staring so long. He adjusted his earbuds and tried to ignore her as best he could.

Unbeknownst to him, the woman didn't lose her gaze of him. She eyed his frame, and the odd object in his hand, which she noticed has some sort of red threads connecting to his ears. She was unsure what it was, let alone what it was for, but she had come to see many strange things since she had arrived in this neighborhood. She slowly closed her eyes as a knowing smile crept across her face.

She soon returned her gaze to the window, her mind awhirl with what she had just experienced. But more importantly, with who she had just met. She felt both relieved and overjoyed at the same time.

"I've found you.." she said breathlessly, continuing to eye the strange surroundings as the bus drove off.

**I...I**

It was about twenty minutes later that the bus arrived to his designated departure point. To his credit, Nolan hadn't dared turn his head to the woman who still remained in her seat. He felt as though she was looking in his direction several times during the short ride, if only through sheer intuition, but chose to ignore his thoughts and let his music dominate his thoughts. He didn't need to take it any further.

Ringing the bell, Nolan rose from his seat and started towards the rear door of the bus. As he passed her, the woman looked up and did her best to avoid eye contact. He paused for a moment, and decided to let out a simple statement.

"Sorry."

The woman simply stared as he walked past, she looked genuinely taken aback. Nolan sighed as he reached the door and pressed the bar to allow for it to open. He barely took notice of the fact the woman had now stood up and proceeded to the front door of the bus.

"Allow me to take my leave." she said to the bus driver in a serious tone. The driver gave her an odd lock as he opened the sliding doors. She gracefully stepped off. "Thank you kind sir" she said as she gave him a short nod. For his part, the driver simply gave her a funny look as the door closed behind her.

Nolan, now walking along the street, barely registered the fact that the strange woman had indeed got off the bus, as well as the fact she was eyeing him from where she stood. He kept walking as he slipped his bus pass into his jeans pocket.

The woman, now slowly beginning to walk towards him, slipped a hand into a pocket on the side of her blue dress and pulled out what appeared to be a pipe or flute of some sort. Nolan averted his eyes and simply proceeded down the road for his half hour walk to work.

As he walked past a group of children proceeding in the opposite direction, he began to notice something was off. Something pulled at his instincts, best he could describe it was that it was like a premonition. He looked up at the early morning sky, the sound of children now a quiet flutter in the distance. Something was pulling at his subconscious, now focusing him on the empty blue expanse above him.

It was the sound of a melody that for a brief moment broke his concentration. He titled his head to the side and stared at the woman, now fully composed and standing a few meters from him. The flute in her hands as she blew gently into the mouthpiece. Her eyes were now closed, the wind gently began to pick up around them as she continued to play. The sound was familiar, it felt as though the player was trying to convey her emotion through every note. it had a melancholic feel to it.

Continuing to stare at her, his eyes went wide as a flutter of light began to surround her body, almost like a silhouette of green and blue was engulfing her form. She continued to play, her hair beginning to float ever so gently around her head.

"W-what are you doing?" He finally stammered as she gently opened her eyes. She locked her gaze on his as she gave him a sweet smile.

"You needn't apologize to someone like me, Lord" she stated as she slowly walked towards him, the gentle glow still surrounding her form. The wind began to whip around them violently.

Nolan gave her a look of sheer confusion. He was completely lost and scared, what was happening before his eyes shouldn't even be possible. It was as if fiction had taken a hold of his senses and was playing a practical joke on him. Despite his brain telling him to do the practical thing and deny this, he felt his subconscious take over. Something inside of him wanted this to be real.

"This can't be-" he started to say but was stopped by a finger on his lips. The woman moved closer to him and bent her face to hers, their noses touching. She looked him deep in the eyes and smirked. Nolan looked at her as he began to feel light-headed from her touch. The light, he barely registered, was now beginning to envelop himself as well. "Who are you?"

"Omiera." she whispered. "M'lord, it is my honor to retrieve you."

Nolan gave a confused look. "What do you mean retrieve?"

She gently shushed him as she moved her hand from his lips and placed them flat on his forehead. "We must depart" she said, a wistful look creeping across her features. "But If our paths should cross again, please don't hesitate to greet me. I will always be there for you."

Nolan did the only thing he could at this point and simply gave a blank stare. She continued.

"May you have a safe and blissful journey." With this, her eyes darted up into the sky. Nolan registered that he was no longer standing, but floating. He barely noticed that the street, the trees, the children were no longer present. All he noticed was the woman in front of him, She had a look on her face that could scare any opponent in a battle. She was concentrating on a level he had never seen before. She briefly glanced at him as a flash of light engulfed his vision. And with that, the world was no more.

**I...I**

'What is this feeling, it's like whiplash.' Nolan whispered to himself as his conscious came back into the world of the living. As he opened his eyes, he was alarmed when he could see nothing. Not a scattering of light was visible. He began to move his extremities, verifying he was indeed in one piece.

With that out of the way, he raised a hand to his face and felt relieved when he realized why he had no vision. A blindfold was wrapped around his head. It felt of a silk like material. As he felt around his face, it alarmed him when he felt wetness on his forehead above the blindfold. Bringing his fingers to his mouth, he sampled it; it was blood. His blood.

He sat upright in an instant, and immediately regretted it. His back was extremely sore and he could feel a sharp pain in his head from the vertigo of sudden movement. He went to grab the blindfold when he realized his other arm seemed to be immobile. It wasn't that he couldn't move it, but that it was bound in place. Feeling it with his free hand, it felt like the silk blindfold. It appeared these were bandages.

Suddenly, he heard muffled voices to his left. it sounded as though they were in a different room, or hallway, or something of that sort. He froze when he heard the click of a doorknob as they entered the room.

Silence deafened the room for a few moments, followed by the yell of a female voice. She was yelling at somebody, he could determine that much, but the language was beyond him. He couldn't make heads or tails of it. Her voice faded as she began running out of the room, demanding for what Nolan could only hope was water and some sort of food. He was starving.

"At least I'm not dead." Nolan said out loud to no one in particular, which caused a low voice to pipe up near the door which startled him.

"Ahh.." she said, footsteps indicating her approach to his bed. He heard more yelling in the distance as several individuals began to approach the room.

"I'm sorry, I can't understand you. Hopefully you can understand me.. I don't seem to know where-OWWW" Nolan started as he winced from the pain in his back. This caused the woman to rush to his side. She turned to the side of his bed and grabbed what sounded like a washcloth. He heard dripping water, she must be trying to clean his bandages.

She chided him with an unrecognizable remark, obviously meant to prevent him from stressing himself. She reached out and ran the cloth over his back, causing him to wince as the warm water permeated the bandages and stung his apparent wound.

At this point, she reached up and untied his blindfold. His vision went blurry as the sudden influx flooded his field of view. As it subsided, he took in his surroundings as the young lady continued to wash his back gently.

The room was brightly decorated, with fancy furnishings and decorations and pictures of various natural wonders. A nightstand was next to his bed, on it appeared to be a teapot and a fancy fine china cup filled with the hot beverage, steam rising from the cup. A candle brightened the room by the bed, as it appeared there was no electrical light. The room looked old fashioned, like something out of a Victorian era photo.

He winced again as the young woman prepared fresh bandages for his back. He sighed as he realized he was pretty much at her mercy.

Nolan turned his head to his right to see her face, and his head stopped dead in its place. She had short blond hair, about shoulder length, and was dressed in what he would call a nightgown. A diamond pendant adorned her neck, and a head bracelet draped her forehead. What had stopped him dead in his tracks was her long, pointy ears which protruded from her head for close to four inches. His eyes went wide.

"What the hell- AHH!" he gasped as he lurched back instinctively, causing his body to swell with pain. This time, the woman was having none of it. She grabbed his shoulders and forced him back into position, restricting his movement. She snapped at him, then her voice seemed to cool as she continued re-bandaging him.

Nolan was now visibly shook up. He was being nursed by what he could only gather was an elf. He focused on that thought: She was an elf, a real living speaking elf. His mind proceeded to spinlock as he averted his vision towards the door as three more people entered the room.

They all began speaking to each other rapid fire. Nolan couldn't understand any of it, a blank look on his face as one woman who he recognized from her voice was the one who ran out of the room earlier sat a small meal on the bed next to him. She sat on the end of the bed and stared right into his eyes. He looked back, acknowledging that she indeed, as well as the rest of the group, all had wide pointy ears.

"Ahh.. Hello." he said as she smiled at him, motioning with her hands to the food. He nodded understandingly as he reached over and grabbed an apple. biting it, he took time to enjoy the sweet taste as if he hadn't eaten in days. Now that he thought about, that might not be out of the question.

A male elf regarded him as he stood midway between the door and the bed. He had a look of cautious concern on his face, his formal robes giving him a strong regal look. He spoke to another woman who with a short nod left the room. Nolan turned his eyes to the one who had fixed his bandages, her task how complete. She freed his bound hand, which he cradled gently. To his surprise it did not seem to be injured, despite the dried blood that adorned the removed bandage.

"Thank you." he said smiling at her. She nodded and stood up to take her leave, carrying the old bandages off as she made her way for the exit. She seemed to mention something to the male to which he nodded as she left the room.

It only came to his realization just now that he was indeed mostly unclothed, minus his boxers. He scanned the room but could not see his remaining clothes. Given the state he was in, it was entirely possible that they were ruined or torn. Looking around, Nolan noticed his backpack on the floor by a wooden dresser, most of the pouches open and rummaged through.

Finishing the apple, he placed the core on the plate and looked up at the man who was now standing next to the bed.

"You are truly lucky to be resting here, young man." the elf commented. Nolan was surprised he was speaking in his own language.

"You can speak-" Nolan started before the man interrupted.

"Your native tongue is beyond our realm of knowledge." he stated. "You were trying to communicate with us from the start, but we were unable to understand your words. The reason we can understand each other is due to the pendent around your neck. It allows me to communicate with you, and for you to understand my language."

Nolan stared down, it seems he was indeed wearing a small green pendent. He ran his fingers across it. "If that's true, how come the women could not talk with me?" He asked, a look of confusion on his face.

"The bracelet will only allow the spell bearer to speak freely. This would be why I can talk with you" said the man. "Your wounds were treated by my skill as well. If not for the quick treatment and alerting of my daughters, you would not be alive to greet me now." He turned and sat down at the foot of the bed.

"You don't appear to be a warrior of any kind, your build confirms that much" he started, to which Nolan let out a small laugh. "Are you a barterer of some kind? Your belongings did not provide much for us to go on. It has been a long time since we have had a human in our presence." His face turned to regard Nolan.

"I'm not sure I really know myself." Nolan started. "I don't even have a clue where I am. Could you at least fill me in on what.. village or kingdom I'm in?" Nolan assumed at this point he was clearly not in his own country anymore, or even his own world.

The man stared for a few moments. "The nearest village to here is Huriande, to the northwest. They have a healer there who should be able to assist you greater than my abilities can provide. My home resides in the kingdom of Whalon, near the border with the land of Illes." Nolan simply stared blankly.

"Thanks, though that doesn't really make anything any clearer." he commented as he let out a big sigh. The elf pushed ahead. "My name is Aran, my daughters you have already met. They will introduce themselves in time. For now, you are welcome to rest here. Your belongings are in our reception room. Your wounds are still fresh, and I would recommend resting for another day longer. It will allow you to recover enough to build your strength back up."

Nolan nodded. "My name is Nolan, and thank you, I really mean it." He stopped, a question burning in his mind. "I need to know; where did you find me?"

The elf regarded him as he stood up. "My eldest daughter found you laying in the mud outside the gates. You had been stabbed in the back and your face was bloodied. As I said, you are lucky to be alive." With that, he started for the door.

Nolan watched as the man turned one last time. "Keep in mind that we will watching you. Please be on your best behavior." Aran stated cautiously as he closed the door behind him. Turning to his side, he took the now lukewarm tea and began to sip. It warmed him up as he ran his hand through his hair.

"So much for work." he whispered to himself. "I've got bigger problems to worry about." He winced as he lurched his back to place the tea back on the nightstand. His mind turned to the girl who had seemingly dropped him here. Omiera had stated he was being retrieved, or something to that effect. Her actions had somehow left him in a world where elves existed, and had inadvertently lead to his injuries, indirectly or not.

Laying back on the bed, he stared at the ceiling as questions popped into his mind. He was in effect a million miles from home, in a world he knew nothing about, with creatures he had only knowledge of from his own world's fiction. What was he supposed to do? Was this some sort of test? Blind chance? It was giving him a headache.

Closing his eyes, he slowly began to drift to sleep, his mind clearing to that of one vision. Omiera with her flute standing in front of him.

"Why me?" he muttered as sleep took hold.

**I...I**

The chirping of birds sitting at the open window was the first thing Nolan heard as he awoke, his eyes narrowed as he grabbed the rather fluffy pillow he was resting his head on and flung it on his face.

He felt horrible, as if he had been beaten with a crowbar over his entire body; the reality wasn't that far from the truth given his injuries. Gently running his free hand across his face to feel the healing cuts on his forehead, he felt scabbing below his left eye. Suddenly wishing he had access to a mirror he sat up in bed, gingerly adjusting his back against the bed frame.

He glanced at the nightstand to see it now had a tray of food upon it, indicating somebody had entered while he had been sleeping. Removing a bread roll from the tray he nibbled on his breakfast as the birds continued to chirp in the background. It was a light meal, the highlights being a bowl of grapes and more of the tea he had sampled the day prior.

The room was now fully lit by the daylight outside, the silk curtains tossed to the sides of the large window to allow for fresh air to ventilate the room. A vase of fresh flowers decorated the dresser across the room which added a potpourri scent which he enjoyed.

Setting his bread roll down, he pulled aside the blanket to get a good look at his lower half. His legs looked to be in good health, his boxers however appeared to have a reddish hue to them; his blood most likely. Letting his legs rest on the floor, he prepared himself for the arduous task of standing up.

Thankfully his legs were not in pain as he easily rose to his feet, but not before cringing with the movement of his back. He ran his free hand across his back, feeling the texture of the bandages against his fingers.

Glancing towards the door, he slowly made his way to a long mirror on the wall next to the exit. What he saw took him aback. His face looked as though a cat had mauled him, scrapes and dried blood decorated his hair, despite his hosts best efforts to clean him. A short scar crossed the skin below his left eye, thankfully it had missed damaging anything critical.

The bandages crossed his chest and back, and had a reddish color to them, the blood having dried. He took the moment to eye the pendent around his neck, his only method of communication with anyone. The jade green color was beautiful, sparkling from the sunlight shining through from the nearby window. Nolan sighed a deep sigh, letting go of the pendent.

Aran was right; He really was lucky, lucky he ended up in this house, lucky he had a way to communicate, lucky that no one of notorious backgrounds had found him first. If Nolan had believed in faith, he would be thanking whatever gods this world had that he was safe for the time being anyway.

And yet, he hadn't been completely lucky. Somebody had taken his life into their hands in an attempt to end it. Either they discarded him here by choice, or somebody had interrupted their deeds. He let the thought linger as he wiped his eyes.

He glanced to the dresser and noticed a set of clothing was put aside for him. Walking over, he picked up what appeared to be a grey tunic and quickly put it on. A pair of silken trousers soon adorned his feet as well as a pair of walking slippers. The tunic hid most of his bandages, although his face still looked a nightmare.

Opening the door, he stepped outside slowly. The hallway was clear of anyone, the sun shining through the windows that dotted the corridor. He slowly made his way down the hall to see if anyone was home. He called out.

"Aran? Anybody around?" He said in a high tone, hoping his voice would carry. He then noticed light peeking from underneath a pair of double doors to his right. He walked over and noticing the door was slightly ajar, he slowly pushed it open, a cautious look on his face.

The room was very large, with a marble fireplace as the centerpiece. Several pots of plants decorated the room, a long table with several plush chairs was in the corner. By the fireplace was a sofa with an ottoman in front. He noticed a low hum coming from the sofa. The fireplace was alight, filling the room with warmth.

Slowly walking into the room, he soon realized the source was a woman; clearly one of Aran's daughters. As he approached, he started to get a better look of her. Her hair was long but collected into a ponytail, with a brooch at the base keeping it all together, and wore a rose colored dress which in her reclined position reached her knees. Nolan was still not used to seeing those elven ears. He figured she should have been able to hear him come inside, but she appeared to be reading a book, oblivious to his approach. To prevent startling her too much, he cleared his throat.

Quickly turning her head to the source she gasped as she rose to her feet. She remained silent. Nolan decided to break the ice.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, I was just trying to see if anyone was home." he stammered as she looked him over. She stared at his wound covered face, averting her eyes when he met hers. She had a concerned look on her face, but was also clearly being cautious around the stranger.

After a few moments, she bowed to him as a small smile brightened her face. She began to speak in that elven language, then paused, realizing his inability to understand. Instead, she pointed to the sofa.

Nolan glanced to the seat she was pointing curiously. It seemed like an invitation. She then pointed to his chest, then back to the sofa. Nolan let out a small laugh, then nodded. He made his way around the front and sat down next to where she had been sitting. Smiling, she sat beside him.

As he glanced at her again, he took note that she was not present with Aran the previous night. He didn't really have much of an introduction to any of the family yet, but in his brief time he had yet to meet her specifically. He reached out to her.

"Nolan" he stated, pointing to his chest. She gave a blank look. He sighed. "Nolan. Nolan" he repeated, still pointing to himself. He then pointed to her, not saying anything in hope she would catch on.

Her curious look disappeared as she began to understood his strange actions "Ahh!" she said exuberantly, as she pointed to her chest. "Shayla." she said, smiling brightly.

Nolan let a smile of his own creep across his face. He pointed at her and repeated her name, to which she giggled. Well, it was progress all right. At least they knew eachother's names. Still smiling, he turned to face her directly.

"Thank you." A curious look on her face, Nolan pointed to his back and chest in hope she would understand. "My wounds, your hospitality. Thank you."

She titled her head as she gave a confused giggle, to which Nolan raised an eyebrow. "I guess I'm coming off rather strange, heh." he quipped. He took her hand and held it with his. She stared at her hand, then at him, looking a bit flustered. He gave a short bow and repeated his thank you. Her face softened, and she nodded as well, her cheeks heating ever so slightly.

Letting go, he turned to look at the fireplace. She stared at him a little longer, then looked at the burning fire as well. The two sat in silence as the fireplace crackled, light dancing across the room. Running a hand across the pendent around his neck, he sighed.

Glancing at the ottoman, Nolan saw the book Shayla had been reading. Bound in a leather cover it was adorned with gold flaked runes which he could only hope to decipher. A cloth bookmark dangled about halfway through the pages. It wouldn't look out of place in a history museum sealed behind a glass display. Most of the things he had seen around the house so far clearly indicated a level of craftsmanship akin to the middle ages, and he was fairly certain that this particular family of elves were at the very least wealthy, if not lords over a piece of land.

As Nolan watched the fire, Shayla picked up her book and pulled open to where her bookmark had been placed. Closing her eyes for a moment, she decided to return to her reading. She leaned back on the sofa and crossed her legs, gently swiping some loose hair from her face and guiding it behind her long ears.

Nolan began to think. He had quite a bit to think about, that was much sure he thought. He wasn't sure where to begin. He tried to rationalize what his first few steps in this strange land should be. If his experience was to be believed, he would have a hard time finding people to speak to, unless the humans of this world could understand his specific dialect. He knew little about living on the land, and he started to realize that coming from the world and society he did, he would have to abandon his self-acknowledged dependence on technology.

'I've got a long way to go.' he thought as he watched the flicker of the fire. He would need supplies, and some sense of where to travel to first. Maybe there was some sort of clue as to how he had arrived here, and if so he could attempt to trace his way back to the one person who could answer the most important question he had; Why was he here? If he could just find Omiera.

This reminded him that he had yet to see the contents of his backpack; Aran did say they were being kept in the reception room, didn't he? He wasn't sure what exactly would qualify as a reception room. He had come to realize the house was probably fairly large, as any mansion would be back home.

Glancing around, he decided to return to his own room. Standing up, he bowed politely to Shayla, to which she smiled politely and gave a short nod. As he walked off, the young elf lady turned her head to watch him walk to the door to leave. As Nolan passed the door, she let out a long sigh and returned to her book. She whispered to herself before turning the page.

**I...I**

Passing by the lavatory, Nolan took the opportunity to clean up his face with some lavender scented soap. He managed to make his face look presentable, but there was no mistaking his wounds. Best he could do, he thought as he returned to his room to retrieve his bag.

Now holding his backpack, Nolan rummaged through the pouches and main compartments and confirmed they were indeed completely empty; They had been thorough all right. He grabbed the handle at the top and made his way out into the corridor, heading down to the far end. He could make out a large windowed door, most likely the entrance. Simple logic had made him conclude the reception area would be close by, or at least he hoped.

He noticed a pass through and walked into a large room complete with a chandelier decorated with gold and several dozen candles. A large grandfather clock sat by yet another fireplace which lay dormant. Large chairs sat in front of it, with a handcrafted wooden table in between. On this table appeared to be much of his possessions.

He approached with his backpack dangling from his free hand, only to stop as he noticed Aran and the other two daughters enter the room. Aran regarded Nolan momentarily, before closing his eyes and nodding at him. He then turned his head to his daughters who both gave short curtsies to Nolan as he approached.

"Good morning, Nolan" Aran said curtly as he took a seat by the fireplace. "It is good to see you up and about. I trust you are not straining yourself?"

Nolan nodded with a polite smile as he stood by the table. "I'm taking things slow, still trying to get my bearings. It's... been an odd past day or two." he stated, his voice wavering slightly as he placed his backpack on the table.

"You cannot recall how you arrived here, can you?" Aran asked matter of fact, to which Nolan shook his head.

"I'm not even sure where here is, let alone how I got here." he replied, staring down at his hands absent-mindedly. He then eyed the various objects on the table. Aran took the moment to interrupt his train of thought.

"Which kingdom do you hail from? Your home village? Do you remember if you were traveling with any fellow companions?" Nolan stayed silent as he picked up the remains of his earbuds. They had been sliced midway down the cord and were now trash. He sighed.

"I only remember a woman. I hadn't even met her until she approached me yesterday. I can only assume she used some sort of spell to bring me here. Where she ended up, I haven't a clue." Tossing his earbuds at the table, he turned his gaze to Aran who had a neutral look, simply listening to Nolan as he continued.

"If I had to take a guess, she's the one who brought me to this land. I don't remember anything, least of which how I ended up at your doorstep." he stated, a hint of unease in his tone of voice.

A female voice interrupted his train of thought as Aran turned towards the source. The two young elven women walked back into the reception area, now carrying a small parchment and pouch. Nolan eyed them curiously as they took a seat on the expensive looking rug in front of the fireplace. Aran retrieved the objects and placed the parchment on the table next to Nolan's backpack.

"Given your current situation, it would be disingenuous to leave you without a way to communicate, at least until you are once again among your own kind." To that end, he took the pouch he was holding and opened it, retrieving what looked to be some powder of some kind. Nolan looked on apprehensively as Aran took a pinch of the powder and recited some sort of shaman incantation. What happened next startled him as the powder began to glow and expand into the air.

"What are you planning?" Nolan said nervously as the powder collected into a floating orb of energy. Suddenly, what appeared to be a pixie appeared out of the orb. Nolan backed away slowly as the pixie began to eye its surroundings. It then turned to Aran and floated to him, glittering powder following it as it went. Aran appeared to speak to the entity. It then turned to face Nolan, a smirk melting over its tiny face. Nolan gulped.

As quickly as it faced him, the pixie darted towards him, causing Nolan to flinch and cover his face with his hand. As the pixie hit him, it appeared to disappear into his chest. Nolan lost his footing and fell on his rear, causing him to grunt in pain as his back absorbed the fall. The taller of the two daughters, who had both been watching the scene, rushed over and steadied him as he opened his eyes. His chest was glowing, and he felt a slight discomfort in his throat.

Fear disappearing, he swallowed hard as his throat tingled, the feeling almost numbing him as he looked over to the young woman. "Sorry, I've never- Well, that is-" he stammered, still processing what just took place. He recognized her as the one who had treated his wounds the night before.

He wasn't expecting what happened next as she looked him in the eyes. "Not expecting a spirit to crash into you, Hmmm?" she replied. Nolan eyes went wide as he stared back, a smirk appearing on her face.

"Are you going to let me go now, sir?" she stated as Nolan quickly released his free hand from her shoulder and slowly stood up. She rose next to him and readjusted her linen topshirt, dusting off her shoulder. Standing, she was a good five inches taller than Nolan.

"Good boy." she commented. Nolan averted his eyes as she took a seat in the free chair by the fireplace. She crossed her legs, her trousers bunching up as she picked up one of Nolan's strange devices off the table. Nolan was about to object, but was halted by her commanding tone.

"Milly, you can come over now. He doesn't bite." she stated bluntly, tilting her head towards her sister. She timidly approached the group, Aran motioning for her to join them. Nolan turned his gaze to Aran. "I can understand elven now?" he asked. Aran nodded.

"The spirit of Cyui has taken control of your speech, it allows you to communicate with our species regardless of house or class. It is enchanted to your necklace, and will aid you in your journey to find your people." Turning to Milly who now stood beside him, Aran motioned for her to introduce herself. "These are my daughters, Fione and Milly." Nolan took the initiative.

"Hey, nice to meet you." he said with a smile. "I owe you and your family big." Nolan extended a hand, to which Milly took ever so gently and bowed politely. She looked a little embarrassed to be the center of attention.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, and it is good to see you in good health." she said, a hint of graceful elegance in her tone which took Nolan aback a little.

"A little too formal, Milly. He clearly isn't that refined for a human." commented the elder sister, as she fiddled with what Nolan saw was his smartphone. Nolan stared at her, obviously a little flustered by her comments.

"You shouldn't fiddle with something you don't understand." Nolan quipped, pointing to the phone in her hands. She gave him a curious look as her long elvish ears perked up before giving an irritated frown. "And I don't suppose you'll fill me in? Are you some sort of sorcerer then?"

Nolan gave a small chuckle as he walked over to her, making a gesture to the phone in her hand. She raised an eyebrow, before gently handing him the device. He smiled.

"I'm no sorcerer, not even close." he commented as he took the device and held it in his right hand. She watched him curiously as his finger pressed down on the side of the phone. The screen came to life, and she watched as he tapped on the glass front, then handed it back to her.

She looked intently at the screen now aglow with artificial light, animations on the screen dancing around as if it were a living tapestry. At this point Aran and Milly made their way over, curious as well. Aran took the device from her hands and studied it. He noted that the craftsmanship that went into its construction would be well beyond the skill of even his own people, let alone the human kingdoms. "Where did you get this relic?" He asked, his tone betraying his sense of wonder.

Nolan shrugged. "I bought it, you could call it a personal communication device. It's a common device where I come from, almost everyone has one." Aran looked at him, then back to the device in his hand.

"This level of craft is unlike anything I have ever encountered, and I can say beyond a reasonable doubt this could not have been crafted by human hands. Just where are you from that this device could be commonplace, young man?" Aran said, a slight sense of suspicion in his voice.

Nolan walked over to the table and picked up a small leather wallet. He then handed it to Aran, who opened it curiously. Inside were various parchments made from a material he could not recognize. He removed one of the cards and studied it. It had Nolan's photo on it, and had small sections of text written across the front and back. The text was written in the human alphabet, but he could not recognize the language. Nolan motioned to the wallet, which Aran handed back to him.

"That card is my photo I.D, I use it for identification in my homeland. And this is what our money looks like." Nolan said, handing a twenty dollar bill to him. It was not made of paper, but of a smooth textured material that Aran could not recognize. It has sections that appeared to be transparent, and symbols that shimmered depending on the angle of light that reflected off of it. Fione, who had been watching the exchange, stood up from her chair and took the bill from her father's hands.

"I've seen human money before, this is most certainly not their currency." She quipped, holding it up to the light of a candle to get a better look at it. The time and delicate precision that must have been undertaken to produce this trinket would be great, she thought. Fione turned her head to Nolan, giving him an appraising look. For his part, Nolan simply watched her as she fiddled the bill between her fingers.

"You don't appear to be a sorcerer, and you are clearly not a warrior of any kind." Nolan sighed at that comment as she continued. "A human with trinkets like these would be a clear target for relic hunters. Is this why you were attacked, then? Any hunter wouldn't think twice to have you slain if they were aware of what you were carrying." She looked him straight in the eye, causing Nolan to avert his own.

"I don't even remember being attacked" Nolan said matter of fact, rubbing the scar across his eye self consciously. "And if that were true, why wouldn't they take my possessions when they left me to rot?"

"Because I came to your rescue." Another voice coming from the doorway chimed in. Nolan and the family turned to face the new arrival. It was the daughter Nolan had met earlier. "Shayla?" Nolan said, which drew a surprised glance from Fione and Aran. Shayla smiled.

Her dress flowed around her as she walked over, her eyes never wavering from Nolan's position. Standing in front of him, she nodded to her father, who simply nodded back with closed eyes.

"Be nice to him Fione, he's been through quite an ordeal." she said, her eyes staying fixated on Nolan. He blushed as she raised her hand to him, an obvious attempt at a formal greeting. Nolan smiled and took her hand in his, being as gentle as possible. A warm smile crept over her face as she looked down at him.

Nolan cleared his throat absent-mindedly as he started. "I don't know if I could ever repay you for saving my skin, but I can at least try. I just wish I had any recollection of what happened." Raising her free hand, Shayla waved away the praise.

"I could not allow the trash of society to claim the life of an innocent." She said as she released her grip on Nolan's hand. "Once I had unsheathed my sword, they wanted no part of me. I only wish I had discovered your plight sooner." Shayla looked Nolan over as she brushed his scarred face with her hand. Nolan, for his part, did his best to take it all in stride.

"Was there anyone else with me? Somebody who escaped or fled before I was attacked?" Nolan asked, hoping for any answers he could get to better understand his first steps in this world. She shook her head. "I did not notice any others of your kind when I arrived."

"So the attackers were elves?" he asked, to which she nodded as a frown crossed her features. She shuddered. "It is despicable for our kind to try and harm the weak, and to a human as well..." Shayla stopped mid sentence as she closed her eyes. Opening them, she continued "I will see to it they are found and held responsible for their actions." Nolan could hear a hint of anger in her tone. It was the sound of Fione clearing her throat that brought the attention of the two back to the room.

"I'm sure the militia will find them in time. No need to take matters into your own hands" she commented, in an attempt to quell her sister's outrage. Shayla for her part simply smiled at her younger sibling.

"You know as well as I do that they are less concerned about the well being of other species." she said, turning her head back to Nolan. "It is no wonder we seldom encounter humans in our county. They do not have the same sense of security here that our neighbouring realms provide."

"Likely I was just unlucky." Nolan said as he chose the moment to interject into the conversation, in an attempt to understand more about his immediate area. "If you have a map around, can I see it? I'd like to get a better understanding of the area."

Shayla nodded as Aran left the group to fetch what ended up being a fairly detailed hand drawn map of the kingdom. Nolan followed, hoping he'd be able to get his bearings as best he could. He'd need all the information he could get if he was going to plan his next move.

**I...I**

As the day progressed, he and the family settled in the dining room, the elves partaking in afternoon tea as Nolan looked over the geography.

Nolan could discern that he was on the northern edge of a large peninsula, surrounded by an inland sea that he could only guess to the size of. The immediate area was mostly forest, which he expected. Elves loved nature, he'd seen enough fiction over the years to know this much. He would however learn that humans were few and far between around these parts. Fione mentioned that they tended to find their kind unapproachable and, in her words, 'quirky' to which she rolled her eyes in disdain as she gently sipped her tea.

Aran had mentioned the village of Huriande was close, only about a three hour walk from the mansion on the county road. There was only one settlement big enough to call a city on the map, a day's walk in the opposite direction. Fione would pipe in that he could find a large goods trader there, implying they would be willing to deal in relics like his. Nolan chose to keep silent on the remark.

Soon Aran informed him that he would be escorting his youngest into the village for more bandages for his wounds. As they left, Fione took the opportunity to take her leave to tend to the dishes. Nolan continued to look over his options while Shayla remained in her chair.

As he studied the document Shayla stayed silent as she studied him. She noted his mannerisms were different from the humans she had encountered before on her travels, he seemed more refined and civilized than the soldiers and politicians she was used to. She held her cup and saucer in both hands as she sipped her tea, only looking away when she felt he was about to notice her. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable. Despite his outward appearance, it was clear he was in some distress.

Nolan took out his phone again, this time opening the camera application to take shots of the map itself. Nothing better than a digital guide to refer to on the land. Shayla regarded him curiously as she watched him fiddle with the black slab. He slipped it back into his pocket, sitting down in his chair as he began staring up into the ceiling, slouching in his seat.

'Now what the hell do I do?' he thought absent-mindedly, closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh. He was in over his head and he knew it. He had few supplies, little knowledge of the world, and nowhere to begin. What direction would he travel? Would it matter? Any destination was viable at this point. Who could he trust? He was reasonably confident he could trust his new found saviors, but even then he was a stranger.

Shayla took another sip of her tea before setting her cup and saucer down on the table. She watched him as he continued his upward stare, silence filling the room. This continued for a couple of minutes before Nolan made a silent remark.

"I'm screwed" he muttered under his breath. Shayla cleared her throat in an attempt to get his attention, which succeeded in breaking his concentration. He gave her a sidelong glance as she poured herself a fresh cup of tea, this time taking a second free cup and filling it as well. She motioned to it.

"Would you care to join me?" she said, as she gently moved the saucer to the chair opposite her. Nolan gave a blank stare before giving a slow nod. He stood up, taking care not to aggravate his back and took the seat across. She smiled.

"Thank you." he replied as he glanced to the table, steam rising from the tea. Shayla lifted her cup and saucer and gave Nolan a short nod. He followed suit and raised his cutlery as well. A small toast, they enjoyed the hot tea as Nolan tried to put aside his thoughts for the moment.

It was still sinking in that he was indeed having tea with a female elf in a mansion; An elf who despite her elegance and femininity was a skilled warrior as well. Reality was slapping him in the face as far as he was concerned. Who's to say this wasn't some sort of lucid dream, or nightmare for that matter that would end with him falling off his bed at home?

Teacup raised to his lips, Nolan eyed Shayla as she stared into her teacup. She seemed to be lost in thought. He averted his eyes as she raised her cup.

"What will you do now?" Shayla asked, which broke Nolan's train of thought. He shrugged as he set his cup back down on the saucer.

"I don't really have any plans." he commented as he eyed the table. "I guess my first step will be to figure out why I ended up here. Somebody out there must know what happened, I just need to know where to look." Shayla nodded as she finished off her tea.

"I would suggest to start in Huriande, any travelers passing through would have to register with the sheriff. He may have a record of your passage." She glanced at him as she continued. "Though I'm afraid any nefarious types would have bypassed this. Any supplies you may need should also be readily available." Nolan nodded.

"Will I be safe travelling on my own there?" He asked, to which Shayla smiled.

"I would be happy to accompany you there, though there shouldn't be any danger on he road during daylight." Shayla gently stood up as she took Nolan's hand. Nolan eyed her curiously as he stood and followed. She led him over to a wooden cabinet in the corner of the room.

Opening the doors of the cabinet Shayla rummaged around inside as Nolan watched, curious to what she was looking for. She stopped for a moment and smiled as she pulled what appeared to be a small jacket of a light brown color.

She held it out in front of Nolan as he took it in his hands. "You can use this for protection from the elements. It was a gift for Fione when she was young, but she never took a liking to it. It should fit." Nolan eyed the jacket before draping it around his shoulders. The fabric felt like velvet, and was very thick. Small floral patterns stretched along the arms and the collar had a slight ruffle to it. Nolan blushed as he buttoned up the front.

Shayla giggled. "It suits you well. Very eloquent." Nolan chuckled. It did have a hint of refinement to it, and was certainly more comfortable than his now ruined old jacket. "Thank you again. I really don't deserve this." he said as she smiled back at him.

"You're most welcome. I would not feel at ease if you were to fall ill or be harmed on your journey." Shayla turned to head to the hallway, glancing back at him. "I will go to prepare for the trip. Please allow me to be your guide." she said with a sweet smile as she left the room, her dress floating behind her.

Nolan continued to regard the spot she once stood as he fingered the sleeves of his new jacket. He would have to collect his things and prepare as well. He turned to head back to the reception room, his mind awhirl with what he had experienced so far, and what was to come. And yet, he felt somewhat at ease; He had made a friend, and had somewhere to begin his journey.

What would happen next was out of his hands. Nolan set off to prepare, the teacups on the table remaining in the now empty room.

**I...I**

* * *

Well, next chapter will move things along a little farther, plus another new arrival will show her face. Stay tuned!


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